Game apparatus.



A. L. PECKHAM.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

N FQE.

1 ALLEN L. PECKI-IAM, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

Application led December 14, 1917. Serial No. 207,192.

To all whom z't'may concern Be it known that I, ALLEN L. PECKHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use-V fullniprovements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

4My invention relates to game apparatus and has especial reference to playing cards.

The object of the invention is to provide a pack of playing cards, by means of which a variety of amusement games of innocent, instructive and educational character, may

f be played.

secutively numbered cards With this object in view the invention consists in providing a pack of cards divided into a plurality of characteristically indicated suits, each suit bearing a distinctive mark or sign, such for example, as a star, a cross, a seal, and a ag, respectively, `the cards of each suit comprising'a series of conand a series of officer cards, each card of the latter, bearing a character UnitedStates Army, in their ranking order, and having assumed arbitrary values corresponding with the rank of the officer the particular card represents.

Other and further objects of my invention will become readily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the following description, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein Figure l represents a card of the cross suit having a value indicated by the numeral 7.

Fig. 2 represents a card of the having a value indicated by the numeral 5.

Fig. 3 represents a card of the seal suit having a value indicated by the numeral 3.

Fig. 4 represents a card of the star suit having a value indicated by the numeral 1. y The officer cards, of which there are live of each suit, in the embodiment illustrated, the five of the star suit being shown, are of higher value than the ten subordinate, consecutively numbered cards.

Fig. 5 represents a card designated .Lieutenant.

Fig. 6 represents a card designated Captain.

Fig. 7 represents a card designated Major.

Fig. 8 represents a card designated Colonel.

flag suit y cards,

representing an Omr of fthe. A subordinate cards inthe suits of which they ting inthe game to the left. Ten

Ilig. 9 represents a card designated Genera Each suit has, preferably, cards, as shown. In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

-In carrying my invention into effect, I, preferably employ cards constituting a pack; said pack being divided, preferably, into four suits. The fifteen cards, of each suit, each bears an arbitrary designation, such for example, as a star, a cross, a seal, and a Hag, respectively. A

The value of each of the subordinate cards, 1 to 10 inclusive is indicated by thenumber that'it bears, and any of the subordinate cards are of less value than any one of the ciiicer cards.

A. great number and variety of games may be played with a pack of cards of this character, and for the purpose, different or arbitrary-values may be assigned `to the officer relatively to each other and to the are a part. l

The cards may be dealt to the players, as for instance, where there are four players sitone at a time, and always cards are dealt to each player. The dealer places the remainder of the pack in the center of the table, face down, then turns the top card, face up, and lays it beside the turned down pack to start a discard pile. The turn of each player is always in this order :draw, play, discard, and must never be varied, except Where after drawing, a player cannot, ordoes not desire to make a play, in which case he only draws and discards.

The draw is for the purpose of freshening a players hand and consists of his taking the top card, either of the turned down pack or the top card of the discard pile, just as hel may prefer.

The play consists of his laying out on the table in front of him, face up, any combination of cards he may hold, the playable combination being of two kinds; three or more cards of the same denomination of any suitthree fives or four nines,-or three or more in sequence and same suit-two, three, four, ve, cross, or eight, nine, ten, star.

The discard must then be made from his hand to take the place of the card drawn, and this discard must always be placed face jive oflicer .i

`be added to indefinitely,

upward on the discard pile, Whether the player drew from the discard pile or from the pack.

The player must, in every case, make up his mind whether or not he will lay out any of his combinations before he discards, because after he has discarded he is not allowed to lay out any card, or cards, until it comes around to his turn again. No player is obliged to lay out cards unless he sees fit to do so.

The obj ect of each player is to get rid of his cards, a combination once laid down may either by the player who laid it down or any other player, but it cannot be changed. Any card once placed in a certain position in combination, must remain unless it is an oflicers card, which ranks higher than the subordinate Ycards. An officers card controls the combination unless an oificers card of a higher rank is played by the opposing party.

Should all of the cards of the pack be drawn before one of the players win, the dealer turns down the discard pile, face down, and turns up the top card to start a new discard pile.

The counting value which is used in the settlement of the score, at the end of the game, is any assigned value for the officer cards that may be suitable for the purpose and the other cards at their numerical value. Players who have unplayed cards in their hands at the finish of the game are charged with them according to the schedule. The first person running out of cards wins Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve 'cents each, by addressing the the game. Each of his opponents `has many points set down against himself as his unplayed cards will total.

The rules, may, of course, be varied to suit the character of the game designed to be played.

10 represents a cross. l1 `represents a fiag.

l2 represents a seal.

13 represents a star.

The cross and the seal are `preferably red color While the Ifiag and the star may be The .value figures of a card are preferably placed inside of the character designating the suit.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:-

A pack of cards comprising four suits of fifteen cards each, the cards of said suits being designated by a star, a cross, a seal and a flag, respectively, the first ten cards of each ,suit also bearing numerical designations in consecutive order, the remaining five cardslof `each -suit displaying only its suit designation and a character indicative of the title of an officer in the United States Army, said officer cards having values cor# responding with the rank of the officer designated, while the `value of the numerical cards will have relative valuescorresponding with the number it bears.

4In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand. Y

ALLEN L. PECKHAM.

Commissioner ot Eatentl,

Washington, D. C." 

